Press: Auringonsäteet sauna / spa textiles in Taito craft magazine 2/2020

Niina Hiltunen designed the Auringonsäteet (which translates to Sun Rays) sauna / spa textiles for the Finnish craft magazine Taito, issue 2 / 2020.

The DIY weaving instructions include both rigid heddle and floor loom warping and weaving instructions. All DIY instructions of the magazine are inspired by Finnish female masters, the grand old ladys of the Finnish craft world.

Hiltunen wanted to honour Ms Fredrika Wetterhoff (1844–1905), who founded the renown Wetterhoff weaving school and education for young girls in Hämeenlinna, the same school in which Hiltunen studied over 100 years later. Without Fredrika Wetterhoff’s empowering and fearless attitude and desire to give young women weaving education and means and tools to make their living, Finland would not have such a vast weaving tradition today: Nearly everyone in Finland has sat under a floor loom, listening and watching how the mother or the grandmother weaves a rag rug, a linen table cloth or something else useful and handy.

Fredrika Wetterhoff employed a great number of female masters in various subjects in her school, but weaving soon became the core of the education. She was future minded and very much responsible of the fact that countermarch looms became the prevailing looms in Finland. She even imported jacquard looms from Germany to her school, and she was eager to make weaving easy and comfortable. Surely she would have valued rigid heddle looms too, which now are gaining popularity in Finland, too.

The DIY instructions for the pillow and sauna seat towel are available in the issue 2/2020. Have a sneak peak (in Finnish)!

Image: Sonja Karlsson, Taito magazine